JPH11192828A - Rubber/metal-bearing member for pivoting stabilizer on vehicle body - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rubber/metal-bearing member which can attain simple and low-cost manufacturing, easy assembly, and especially, little noise at the time of operation. SOLUTION: This bearing member 1 is provided with a rubber body 5 for surrounding a stabilizer, and a bush 6 for containing the rubber body 5 and the stabilizer guided into it and capable of being fixed on a vehicle body. The rubber body 5 is formed with a contact body 5a fixed inside the bush 6, and a closing body 5b oscillatably-connected to the bush 6, and at the time of oscillatingly-opening the closing body 5b, the stabilizer is capable of being inserted into the bush 6, and capable of coming into contact with the contact body 5a. The stabilizer can be jointed with the rubber body 5 by the closing body 5b capable of oscillating and closing in an assembling process so as not to make relative rotation to the rubber body 5 by means of friction joining while fastening the rubber body 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automobile body comprising a rubber body surrounding a stabilizer, and a bush for accommodating the rubber body and the stabilizer guided therein, which can be fixed to the automobile body. Rubber / metal-bearing member for pivoting the stabilizer (related to a bearing member made of rubber and metal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Such rubber / metal bearing members are known in practice. This bearing element usually serves to guide and hold the stabilizer on the floorboard of the motor vehicle body. As is known, the stabilizer is a so-called bar spring. The bar spring is mostly made of U-shaped round steel to harden the spring when one side of the spring suspension expands and contracts. Therefore, the stabilizer is 1
The two wheels of the axle are connected to reduce the inclination of the vehicle body when traveling on a curve, for example. The wheels whose spring suspension is elastically shortened cause the stabilizer torsion, and correspondingly a return force acting to prevent the vehicle body from leaning. Therefore, if the elastic strokes of both wheels of one axle are the same, the stabilizer will not work. In any case, such rubber / metal-bearings for pivoting and holding the stabilizer on the motor vehicle body must take up the rotational movement of the stabilizer, in particular due to torsion.

In the state of the art, in principle, two different development strategies are pursued in order to realize such rubber / metal bearing members. On the one hand, the rubber body and the bush are separate parts. This part is first assembled during the assembly process. This, on the one hand, leads to assembly problems and, on the other hand, the slippage of the stabilizer in the rubber body is consciously accepted. For this purpose, for example, a (Teflon) layer for reducing the friction value is inserted between the rubber body and the stabilizer. This not only increases the assembly and manufacturing costs, but also risks the known bearing elements generating squeaking noise when traveling on curves. This is particularly disadvantageous during temperature changes (summer and winter operation) and the accompanying change in elasticity of the rubber body (hard and soft). In addition, moisture, salts and similar environmental factors have a negative effect on the noise conditions of the known rubber / metal bearings.

[0004] On the other hand, it is known to directly vulcanize and attach a rubber body to a stabilizer. In this embodiment, the rotational movement of the stabilizer is directly received by the rubber body, but the manufacturing cost is extremely high. This is because a small rubber body must be vulcanized and welded to the overhanging stabilizer. Furthermore, the wear of known rubber / metal-bearings requires that the entire stabilizer with the molded rubber body be replaced. In addition, the posture of the rubber body cannot be flexibly formed by a fixed connection in comparison with the stabilizer, irrespective of which, DE 28383
No. 91/91 discloses a rubber / metal-bearing member for supporting a wheel guide member. The bearing member has an elastic rubber body disposed between the outer metal bush and the inner metal bush and vulcanized and welded thereto. In order to slide the two metal bushes radially, the outer peripheral surfaces of the inner and outer metal bushes near the rubber body are formed so as to extend at least partially obliquely with respect to the bearing axis of the rubber / metal bearing member. Have been.

[0005] Further, German Patent No. 40069
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 22-222, discloses a rear axle support member for a semi-independent suspension for an automobile. The rear axle support member includes a metal inner bush, a metal outer bush, and a rubber hollow body vulcanized and welded between the inner bush and the outer bush. After this, the axle bearing element proved to be effective, but the above problem could not be solved.

[0006]

The object underlying the present invention is a rubber of the type mentioned at the outset, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, and in particular has low operating noise. / Metal-to provide a bearing member.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a rubber / metal bearing member for pivotally attaching a stabilizer to an automobile body, wherein a rubber body is fixed in a bush. A body and a closing body that is swingably connected to the bush, wherein the stabilizer can be inserted into the bush and can abut on the abutting body when the closing body swings and opens, and the stabilizer is assembled during the assembly process. The present invention proposes that a closing body capable of swinging and closing can be connected to the rubber body so as not to rotate relative to the rubber body by frictional connection while tightening the rubber body. In particular, the rubber / metal bearing member is prevented from creaking or noise, and can be easily assembled and manufactured by the relatively non-rotatable connection between the rubber body and the stabilizer. In a preferred embodiment, the abutment is vulcanized in the bush. The closure is swingably connected to the bush by a bush and a rubber-film hinge vulcanized to the closure. In a preferred embodiment, which is solely significant, the closure comprises a body stop welded to the vehicle body side, which body body stop contacts the vehicle body during the assembly of the rubber / metal bearing element. In a further particularly advantageous embodiment, the abutment and the closure are each formed as rubber halves, i.e. as a closing halve and abutment halves, wherein the abutment halves are rubber-film hinges. Above, a downwardly extending protrusion is provided, thereby forming a recess for the web, into which the web hinges in the course of the assembly of the rubber / metal-bearing member. Furthermore, the rubber body frictionally connected to the stabilizer in the assembled state is formed in a spring resilient manner, and the elastic body has a molecular elasticity of about 10 to 60 °, especially about 15 to 60 °.
Accept stabilizer torsion angles in the range of 35 °.

Generally, the bush is formed as a metal strip made of an aluminum alloy, the cross section of the metal strip has a shape of substantially omega (Ω), and the metal strip is a bush for accommodating a rubber body. It has an annulus and fixed legs on both sides.
The vehicle body stopper vulcanized and welded to the closure is also generally made of an aluminum alloy. The bush ring is oriented mainly inward, i.e. towards the closure, and is provided with a locking projection opposite the film hinge, the edge of the closure being locked in order to pre-assemble the rubber / metal-bearing element to the stabilizer. It passes over the projection to produce a locking action. One fixed leg of the bush is formed as a protruding leg that engages a notch of the vehicle body from behind, and the other fixed leg is formed as a bolted leg that can be connected to the vehicle body. Furthermore, the projecting leg and the bolting leg extend substantially in mutually parallel planes that are spaced apart from each other. The spacing of the planes here usually depends on the thickness of the floorboard of the vehicle body, which engages the projecting legs from behind, and on the tightening of the rubber bodies which can be set during the assembly process. In this case, the upper surface of the projecting leg contacts the inner surface of the floor plate, and the lower surface of the bolting leg contacts the outer surface of the floor plate. Therefore, the tightening of the rubber body can be adjusted via the interval between the flat surfaces. In general, however, the spacing of the planes corresponds to the thickness of the floorboard that engages the projecting legs from behind. In this case, the lower surface of the closing chain projects from the lower surface of the bolting leg by a predetermined dimension that determines the tightening of the rubber body.

With these measures of the invention, there is firstly provided a rubber / metal-bearing element for pivoting the stabilizer to the vehicle body, which can be manufactured simply and at low cost. This is because the production is limited to fixing or vulcanizing the abutment or half-split member in the bush and connecting or vulcanizing the closure to the bush. This is done via a rubber film hinge. This rubber film hinge normally connects the vehicle body stopper to the bush. That is, the contact body or the contact half-split member, the bush or the bush ring, the vehicle body stopper and the closing body or the half-split member can be manufactured in one process, for example, by thin plate deformation (deep drawing) and vulcanization. Subsequently, the closure with the vehicle body stopper welded to the motor vehicle can be connected to the bush via a rubber film hinge. The bush can likewise be produced simply and without problems from metal strips (deep-drawn and possibly with holes) made of aluminum alloy. At the same time low priced products are offered.

[0010] Furthermore, if the whole rubber / metal-bearing element according to the invention is constructed in one piece, the assembly is simplified and leads to cost advantages. The connection of different parts, as required in the state of the art, is no longer necessary.
Furthermore, costly and time-consuming vulcanization welding of the rubber body to the stabilizer can be omitted. Furthermore, one or more rubber / metal bearing elements according to the invention can be connected to the stabilizer during the pre-assembly by means of a locking projection provided in a particularly advantageous embodiment.
That is, the rubber / metal-bearings thus pre-assembled can be supplied to the final assembly as a pre-assembled structural group in combination with the stabilizer. This final assembly is further facilitated by the fact that the stabilizer is fixed to the rubber / metal bearing when the bush is fixed to the vehicle body, so that it cannot swing back and forth. At the same time, the risk of potential damage during final assembly is prevented.

Further, the rotational motion of the stabilizer is received by the intramolecular elastic force of the rubber body, and the twist angle of the stabilizer in the range of about 10 to 60 °, particularly 15 to 35 °, as usual, reduces the twist of the rubber body. It is particularly important that this occurs. That is, the sliding of the stabilizer in the rubber body, as is done in the state of the art, is consciously prevented. Therefore, creaking noise is reliably prevented. Because a frictional connection occurs between the rubber body and the stabilizer,
This is because the rubber body follows the twist of the stabilizer in response to this. In this case, the present invention usually achieves a coefficient of friction (rubber on metal) of about 0.5, which coefficient of friction provides a perfect connection by frictional connection of the stabilizer and the rubber body based on the tightening of the rubber body. It starts with the perception that it will arise. Therefore, unlike the state of the art, a large coefficient of friction is intentionally generated in order to properly twist the rubber body.

Such a twist of the rubber body can be achieved in the state of the art exclusively by vulcanizing the rubber body directly onto the stabilizer in a complicated and costly manufacturing process. In contrast, the present invention not only provides a simple and inexpensive rubber / metal-bearing member that can be manufactured, but also greatly simplifies assembly. This is also true with respect to the flexibility of the positioning of the rubber / metal-bearing member with respect to the stabilizer achieved by the invention. This is an important advantage.

Next, another feature of the present invention will be described. The rubber body is made of an elastomer based on rubber or synthetic resin. The elastomer preferably has a working range of about -50 to + 90 ° C, a Shore A hardness of about 20 to 100, especially about 60, and a tear elongation of 10
Natural rubber (NR = natural rubber) having a specific gravity of 0 to 800%, especially 400% or more, and a specific gravity of about 1.2 g / cm ³ . The rubber body has on the stabilizer side one or more bearing halves, which may or may not have a vulcanized rubber coating. Of course, the bearing halves are vulcanized or welded to the rubber body.

[0014]

Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment. The figure shows a bearing 1 made of rubber and metal for pivotally attaching a stabilizer 2 to an automobile body (not shown). According to FIG. 1, the stabilizer 2 connects the two wheels 3 of the axle of the motor vehicle and makes the spring suspension stiff when one side of the wheels 3 moves up and down elastically. Therefore, the stabilizer 2 acts so as not to incline the vehicle body (not shown) when traveling on a curve. Only a part of the floor panel 4 is shown in FIG. 3 of the vehicle body. 2, 3, 4, the basic structure of the rubber / metal-supporting member 1 is a rubber body 5 surrounding the stabilizer 2.
And a bush 6 for accommodating the rubber body 5 and the stabilizer 2 guided therein, which can be fixed to the vehicle body or the floor plate 4. The rubber body 5 is substantially
It comprises a contact body 5a fixed in the bush 6, and a closing body 5b swingably connected to the bush 6. The stabilizer 2 can be inserted into the bush 6 and can be brought into contact with the contact body 5a when the closing body swings and opens (FIG. 2). In this case, the stabilizer 2 can be connected to the rubber body 5 by a frictional connection while tightening the rubber body 5 by the closing body 5b which has been swingably closed during the assembly process. That is, in the state of the assembled rubber / metal support member 1 (solid line) shown in FIG. 3, the stabilizer 2 is fixedly connected to the rubber 5 by frictional connection (frictional engagement). Elastic force (internal elastic force)
Accordingly, the rotational movement of the stabilizer 2 can be received by spring elasticity.

The contact member 5a is vulcanized and welded in the bush 6. The closing body 5b is swingably connected to the bush 6 by a bush 6 and a rubber film hinge 7 vulcanized and welded on the closing body 5b. The closing body 5b further includes a vehicle body stopper 8 which is vulcanized and welded to the vehicle side. When the rubber / metal bearing member 1 is assembled, the vehicle body stopper 8 comes into contact with the vehicle body or the floor plate 4 (FIG. 3).
reference). The vehicle body stopper 8 is made of an aluminum alloy like the bush 6. The vehicle body stopper has a flat lower surface 9 in the present embodiment. This lower surface rests flat on the floor plate 4 or on the car body during the assembly of the rubber / metal-bearing element 1. The rubber body 5 frictionally connected to the stabilizer 2 in the assembled state (see FIG. 3) is formed resiliently, and due to the intramolecular elastic force, the rubber body 5 in the range of about 10 to 60 °, particularly 15 to 35 ° is formed. Accept the torsion angle.

That is, the design of the rubber body 5 is performed as follows in the course of the network polymerization and by the selection of the material. That is, the torsion angle under the initial stress is elastically received, that is, without abrasion or cracking of the rubber body, and is performed in such a manner as to provide an excellent return. For this purpose, the rubber body 5 is made of rubber or an elastomer based on synthetic resin. In this embodiment, the elastomer has a working range of about -50 to + 90 ° C, a Shore A hardness of about 20 to 100, especially about 60, and a
Natural rubber (NR) having an elongation at tear (rupture) of 800%, especially 400% or more, and about 1.2 g / cm ³
It is.

In the present invention, the retaining ring, which is indispensable in the state of the art, can be omitted by the fixed connection by frictional connection between the stabilizer 2 and the rubber body 5. Such a retaining ring is usually provided with a rubber / metal-bearing element 1.
To prevent reciprocation of the stabilizer 2 in the longitudinal direction (see the retaining ring shown in broken lines in FIG. 3). According to the invention, such a retaining ring can be omitted or can be designed to fulfill only the sealing function within the scope of the invention.

The contact member 5a and the closing member 5b are formed as rubber half members, that is, a closing half member 5b and a contact half member 5a, respectively. The contact half-split member 5a is located above the rubber film hinge 7 and extends downward.
0, which forms a recess 11 for the web 12 of the closing half 5b which hinges into this projection during the assembly of the rubber / metal-bearing element 1. In the present embodiment, the bush 6 is formed as a metal strip made of an aluminum alloy. In this case, the metal strip has a cross section of approximately omega (Ω) in cross section, and a bush ring 6a for accommodating the rubber body 5 and fixing legs 6b, 6 on both sides.
c.

One of the fixed legs 6b, 6c is formed as a protruding leg 6b which engages with the vehicle body or the floor plate 4 from behind.
The other fixed legs 6b, 6c are formed as bolted legs 6c that can be connected to the vehicle body or the floor plate 4. After the protrusion 6b is inserted into the recess 13 and engages with the floor plate 4 from behind, the bush 6 is fixed to the floor plate 4 by the bolted legs 6c. For this purpose, the bolting legs 6c are provided with holes for bolts (not shown) for fixing to the floor plate 4.

The projecting legs 6b and the bolting legs 6c extend substantially parallel to each other and are separated from each other by planes A and B.
Extends within. The distance S between the planes A and B is particularly shown in FIG. The interval is about 5 mm in the present embodiment.
This distance S between the planes A and B depends on the thickness W of the floor plate 4 of the vehicle body with which the protruding legs 6b engage from behind and the tightening force Δ of the rubber body 5 that can be set during assembly. That is, the interval S
Is represented by the following equation.

S = W + Δ In the present embodiment, Δ = 0. That is, plane A,
The interval S of B corresponds to the thickness W of the floor plate 4 that engages the projecting leg 6b from behind. At this time, the upper surface of the protruding leg 6b contacts the inner surface of the floor plate 4, and the lower surface of the bolting leg 6c is
Contact the outside surface of the The lower surface 9 of the closing body 5b, that is, the closing half member 5b itself, protrudes from the lower surface of the bolting leg 6c by a predetermined dimension M that determines the tightening force of the rubber body 5.

Depending on this dimension M, the closing body or half-closing member 5b is pressed somewhat against the abutment body or the half-abutting member 5a during the assembly of the rubber / metal support member 1. At this time, the unassembled state is shown by a broken line in FIG. 3, and the assembled and tightened state of the rubber body 5 is shown by a solid line in FIG. This allows
In any case, the rubber body 5 can be tightened.
Of course, this can be done over the dimension Δ. However, this is not shown in the present embodiment, and finally, the protruding leg 6b and the bolted leg 6c or the corresponding planes A and B form an angle (obtuse angle).

The bush ring 6a faces the inside, that is, toward the closing body 5b, and has a locking projection 14 facing the film hinge 7. In order to pre-assemble the rubber / metal-bearing element 1 to the stabilizer 2, the edge 15 of the closure 5b passes over this locking projection to effect a locking action.
In this manner, the edge 15 passes over the locking projection 14 and locks, so that the rubber / metal-
The support member 1 can be preassembled. Thus, the stabilizer 2 can be supplied with the two pre-assembled rubber / metal-bearings 1 as a complete structural group for final assembly.

The very compact construction of the rubber / metal bearing element 1 is realized by a relatively small rubber or a relatively small rubber body 5. Due to the frictional connection between the stabilizer 2 and the rubber body 5, the rotational movement of the stabilizer 2, which moves only in a range of up to a torsion angle of about 30 °, can be safely received in the molecule. That is, it is received by the network-linked molecules or molecular chains of the rubber body 5. It was intentionally enlarged (of rubber on steel)
A relatively high coefficient of friction of 0.5 is achieved not by reducing the friction value (as in the state of the art) but by producing the above-mentioned frictional connection.
The rubber body 5 can be provided with one or a plurality of bearing half members 16 on the stabilizer side. The bearing half may or may not include a rubber coating layer. When the rubber coating layer 17 is not provided, a means for increasing the friction value such as a rough surface of the inner surface of the half bearing member 16 is provided. In any case, a frictional connection between the rubber body 5 and the stabilizer 2 takes place during operation. Of course, within the scope of the final assembly, a proper sliding of the stabilizer 2 in the rubber body 5 can be produced by overcoming the static friction. Rubber / metal-bearing member 1
The production, in particular the vulcanization welding and vulcanization installation, takes place in a customary manner, for example as described in DE 40 25 100 A1.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an axle with important components including a stabilizer.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the rubber / metal-supporting member according to the present invention in a swing open state.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an assembled state of the bearing member of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the bearing of FIGS. 2 and 3 partially cut away;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rubber / metal-supporting member 2 Stabilizer 5 Rubber body 5a Contact body 5b Closure body 6 Bush 6a Bush ring 6b, 6c Fixed leg part 7 Rubber-film hinge 8 Body stopper 11 Concave part 12 Web 13 Notch 14 Locking projection 15 Edge 17 Rubber coating layer A, B Plane M Dimension W Thickness

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A rubber body (5) surrounding a stabilizer (2), and a bush (6) fixable to an automobile body for accommodating the rubber body (5) and a stabilizer (2) guided therein. A rubber / metal-bearing member for pivoting the stabilizer to the vehicle body, comprising:
A rubber body (5) is provided with a contact body (5a) fixed in the bush (6) and a closing body (5b) swingably connected to the bush (6). When the swing is released, the stabilizer (2) can be inserted into the bush (6) and can abut on the contact body (5a), and the stabilizer (2) can swing and close during the assembly process. 5
b) The rubber / metal bearing member (1), which can be connected to the rubber body (5) by frictional connection so as not to rotate relative to the rubber body (5) while tightening the rubber body (5). 2. The rubber / metal bearing member (1) according to claim 1, wherein the abutment (5a) is vulcanized in the bush (6). 3. The closure (5b) being pivotally connected to the bush (6) by a bush (6) and a rubber-film hinge (7) vulcanized and welded to the closure (5b). 3. A rubber / metal bearing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: 4. The closing body (5b) includes a vehicle body stopper (8) welded to the vehicle body side, and the vehicle body stopper is in contact with the vehicle body when assembling the rubber / metal-supporting member (1). Rubber / metal-bearing member (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: 5. The abutment (5a) and the closure (5b) are respectively formed as rubber half-pieces (5a, 5b), that is, as a closing half-piece (5b) and a contact half-piece (5a). The abutment half (5a) comprises a downwardly extending projection (10) above the rubber-film hinge (7), whereby a recess (11) for the web (12).
5. The rubber / metal according to claim 1, wherein the web is hingedly engaged in the recess during the assembly of the rubber / metal bearing element (1). -Bearing members (1). 6. A rubber body (5) frictionally connected to the stabilizer (2) in an assembled state is formed resiliently, and is about 10 to 60 °, especially 15 to 35 ° by an intramolecular elastic force.
A rubber / metal bearing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the torsion angle of the stabilizer (2) is received within the range: 7. The rubber / metal bearing element according to claim 1, wherein the rubber body is made of an elastomer based on rubber or synthetic resin. 1). 8. An application range of about -50 to + 90 ° C., a Shore A hardness of about 20 to 100, especially about 60, a tear elongation of 100 to 800%, especially 400% or more, and a specific gravity of about 8. The rubber / metal bearing member (1) according to claim 1, wherein natural rubber (NR) having a weight of 1.2 g / cm < ³ > is used. 9. The bush (6) is formed as a metal strip made of an aluminum alloy, the cross section of the metal strip has a shape of substantially omega (Ω), and the metal strip houses a rubber body (5). 2. A bush ring (6a) for fixing and fixed legs (6b, 6c) on both sides.
A rubber / metal-bearing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims. 10. A rubber / metal bearing element with a bushing ring (6a) facing inward, ie towards the closure (5b), and with a locking projection (14) facing the film hinge (7). 10. The pre-assembly of (1) to the stabilizer (2), characterized in that the edge (15) of the closure (5b) passes over a locking projection to produce a locking action. Rubber / metal-bearing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims. 11. A protruding leg (6b) in which one fixed leg (6b, 6c) engages a notch (13) of the vehicle body from behind.
The other fixed leg (6b, 6c) is formed as a bolted leg (6c) that can be connected to the vehicle body. Rubber / metal-bearing member (1). 12. The projecting leg (6b) and the bolting leg (6c) extend substantially in mutually parallel planes (A, B) that are spaced apart from each other and have a spacing (A, B) between the planes (A, B). S)
Is dependent on the thickness (W) of the floor plate (4) of the vehicle body engaging with the protruding leg (6b) from behind and the tightening of the rubber body (5) that can be set during the assembly process. A rubber / metal-bearing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims. 13. The thickness (W) of the floor plate (4) in which the spacing (S) between the planes (A, B) is engaged with the protruding legs (6b) from behind.
, The upper surface of the protruding leg (6b) contacts the inner surface of the floor plate (4), and the lower surface of the bolting leg (6c) corresponds to the floor plate (4).
And that the lower surface (9) of the closure (5b) protrudes from the lower surface of the bolting leg (6c) by a predetermined dimension (M) that determines the tightening of the rubber body (5). A rubber / metal bearing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: 14. The rubber body (5) is attached to the stabilizer side by 1
2. The halves of one or more bearings (16), with or without a vulcanized rubber coating (17).
A rubber / metal-bearing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.